Method of making shoes



M. BROCK.

METHOD OF MAKING SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14. I915.

Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET M. BROOK.

METHOD OF MAKING SHOES.

woman HLED SEPT-4.19M.

1 1 95,966 Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

2 swans-slain 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAT'IHIAS BROOK, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY. OF PATEBSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF MAKING SHOES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTHIAS BROOK, a citizen of the United States, residin at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and tate of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Methods of MalnngShoes, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts 1n the several figures.

This invention relates to the manufacture of shoes and it has for its object to provide improvements in methods of preparing shoe uppers for pull ng-over and lasting operations by which such operatmns will be facilitated and other advantageous results secured.

When a shoe upper is assembled on a last the vamp does not fit the toe of the last but flares outwardly over the top face of the toe and, because it is inconvenient to engage the margin of the vamp by the grippers of a pulling-over or lasting machine, time is lost by the machine operators in 1nserting the upper into the grippers, particularly the pulling-over grippers. It has been proposed to mold the toes of vamps preparatory to lasting as explained 1n United States Letters Patent No. 1,110,323, granted on application of B. J. Hamilton, and while the treatment disclosed in that patent causes the interior portion of the upper to fit the top and side faces of the tOe. of the last, it leaves the margin of the forepart of the vamp diflicult to seize by the pulling-over machine grippers.

The present invention, in its broadest aspect, introduces a new procedure in the manufacture of shoes by shaping the margin of the forepart of a vamp so that it will present an upstanding edge around the toe of the last in close proximity to the edge of the last when the upper is assembled on the last.

In another aspect, the invention contemplates combining in an advantageous way an operation of molding the interior portion of the forepart of a vamp to the contour of a forepart form with a shaping of the margin of the vamp into an upstanding edge.

In the illustrated manner of practising the new method, the margin of the forepart of the vamp is confined by applying holding pressure on a narrow line between a table and a thin lower edge of a clampi member, then a relative movement of t e confined and the unconfined portions of the vam is effected in a direction transverse to t e plane of the confined portion to stretch the unconfined portion and shape it to a forepart form and thereafter the confined marginal portion is drawn out of the confining means against frictional resistance by further relative movement transverse to the plane of the confined portion. In this way the margin is subjected to a drawing out action between the table and the thin edge of said clamping member and thereby is stretched a widthwise, is turned progressively into a plane substantially parallel with the molded portions of the vamp that are to cover the side faces of the toe, and is contracted lengthwise in a way to shorten its outer edge line around the toe, to produce a permanently upstanding edge.

Other aspects of the invention contemplate deflecting the materials of the interior portion of the toe of the vamp out of the plane of the margin before the margin is clamped to provide fullness of vamp stock which is used advantageously in the toe molding operation; moving the confined marginal portion forwardly at the sides of the toe to straighten the tip seam ends before shaping the margin into the upstanding edge; directing the relative toe molding movement of the confined and unconfined portions of the vamp so as to carry the unconfined portion in a direction of definite forward inclination to the plane of the confined portion for stretching the vamp lengthwise to obtain the stock to extend over the end of the toe of the forepart form; applying pressure, with or without heat, to the stretched portion of the vamp on the top face of the forepart form to set it in its molded shape; and subjecting the inner side of the middle portion of the vamp to the action of moist heat while leaving the marginal portion of the vamp substantially unaffected by the moisture.

My novel method may be practised in any appropriate manner, although under commercial conditions the assistance of mechanical means for confining the margin of the vamp and for acting upon the unconfined portion will be utilized as far as possible, substantially as pointed out in application Ser. No. 714,452, filed Aug. 10, 1912, of which the present application is a (llVlSlOIl. In the apparatus described in said apphcation, illustrations of which are furnshed herewith as one form of suitable means for carrying out the present method, the confining of the margin of the forepart of the vamp is effected by clamping the vamp on a continuous line extending from near the tip seam at one side around the toe to a point near the tip seam at the other side, and the molding is effected by a forepart form which is pressed against the unconfined interior portion of the forepart of the vamp and caused to stretch and sha e that portion of the vamp and finally, t e clamping force being preferably modified, to draw out the margin from the confining means and bend it into substantially parallelism with the side faces of the forepart form. These stretching and shaping forces may be applied with good results in the order recited, but it is to be understood that in its broadest aspects the invention is not limited to a treatment of the interior portion of the vamp.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 shows by dotted and full lines respectively the shape of the forepart of a vamp before and after treatment in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one form of apparatus by which the invention may be practised. Fi 3 is a vertical section showin the margin of the forepart of the vamp c amped. Fig. 4 shows the interior portion of the forepart of the vamp being stretched and shaped to a forepart form by relative movement of the confined and unconfined portions. Fig. 5 shows the confined marginal portion being moved forwardly at the sides of the toe. Fi 6 shows in more detail the arrangement or relieving the clamping pressure so that the margin can be drawn from within the confining means; and Fig. 7 shows the confined marginal portion of the forepart of the vamp drawn out widthwise and turned to present the upstanding edge around the toe shown in full lines in Fig. 1.

As a. shoe upper is made, preparatory to assembling with an innersole on a last for the pullin -over and lasting operations, the forepart o the vamp is substantially fiat so that if the upper were applied to the last in this condition the margin of the forepart of the vam would flare outwardly away from the si e faces of the toe portion of the last, as will be understood from the dotted lines in Fig. 1, and be diflicult to insert in the pullin -over machine rippers. By the method 0 this invention t e marginal portion of the forepart of a vamp is reshaped to the form shown in full lines in Fig. 1. The machine which I have found desirable for use in practising the method comprises a work table 6 supported on a vertically sliding head 2 by a. wedge 8 in a position inclined forwardly and downwardly toward the operator to facilitate the presentation of the work. The table is apertured to permit the movement of a forepart form 10 vertically through it. The form is sup orted at an inclination similar to that o the table and is moved by means of a plunger 12 which extends through guides 13, 14 in the sliding head 2, the lower end of the plunger being connected by a link 15 to the short arm of a bell-crank lever 16 operated by a treadle 18, all as shown in Fig. 2. A spring 20 is confined on the plunger beso tween the guide 13 and a collar 21. Above the work table 6 is arranged a clamping member 25 shaped to engage the forepart of the vamp from a point adjacent to the tip seam on one side around the toe to a 35 similar point on the other side of the forepart. When the plunger is raised by the treadle 18 it raises the form 10 and it acts through the spring 20 to raise the sliding head 2 and the table 6 from the position shown in Fig. 2 until the movement of the head and the table is interrupted by the clamping member 25 after which the spring 20 is compressed while the plunger and the form 10 continue to rise. The movement of the table 6 up to member 25 clamps the margin of a vamp outspread over the form and table and continued movement of the treadle raises the form and shapes the unconfined portion of the vamp to the contour of the forepart form. The wedge 8 is then retracted, to relieve the margin clamping force, by a lost motion connection 60, 62, 64 with the treadle-operated bell crank 16. In the illustration the confined marginal portion of the vamp is drawn out durin the movement of the form 10 from the position shown in Fig. 4 to the position shown in Fig. 7, and asthis occurs the margin is stretched widthwise and turned into approximate parallelism with the side faces of the forepart form. This drawing out operation also efl'ects a shortening of the outer edge line of the forepart of the vamp, thereby contracting the mar 'n lengthwise around the toe so that it wil constitute an upstanding edge 80, Fig. 7, which, when the upper is assembled upon a last, will occupy a suitable position, in close proximity to the edge of the last, to be conveniently seized by pulling over or lasting machine grippers.

I prefer to subject the interior portion of the vamp to compression against the top face of the forepart form to assist in set- 126 ting this portion of the vamp in its stretched and molded shape. In the machine shown in the drawings, this is secured by the use of a compression member 40 having a lower vamp-engaging face of 1:0

a ts

the same contour as the top face of the form 10. The member 40 is mounted on a sleeve stem 42 that can slide up and down in an adjustable bearing 43 in the head of the machine, and it has a pawl 44 for engaging the teeth of the pivoted ratchet lever 45 which is held toward the pawl by spring 46. The pawl and the ratchet hold the member 40 normally in an upraised position to facilitate the insertion and arrangement of the vamp on the work table. The pressure member is released from the ratchet 45 by the operator at the proper time and is pressed against the work by gravity and by a spring 48.

I prefer to subject the inner side of the middle portion of the forepart of the vamp to the action of moist heat while leaving the marginal portion substantially unaffected or affected to a less extent, by the moisture. This is accomplished in the illustrated apparatus by providing'the forepart form 10 with a steam chamber which communicates with the vamp engaging surface of the form by perforations and grooves through which steam or heated vapor is injected between the vamp and the form to soften that por tion of the "amp which is to be bent over the top face of the form in shaping it. Steam is supplied through a valve 30 and piping 26. 52, 50, passing also through the pressure member 40 to supply dry heat for use on the outer face of the vamp. The valve can be opened by the pressure of the workmans hands on the form 10, which de resses the valve, Fig. 3, against the resistance of springs 32. The valve can also be opened by the resistance encountered when the former is raised against the work, and the valve remains open and delivers heated vapor to soften the vamp while the vamp is bein shaped. The work table 6 and associated parts become heated from the steam, but the margin of the vamp is protected from moisture by being clamped between the heated table and the member 25. The described heating arrangement supplies moist heatto the inside or lining face of the vamp and-supplies dry heat to the outside or finished surface of the vamp.

Under some conditions I prefer to move the confined marginal portion of the vamp forwardly at the sides of the toe before drawing out and bending said margin into the upstanding edge 80 in order to give the end portions of the tip seam a desired location when the vamp is assembled upon its last. In the illustrated construction I accomplish this operation by providing the Wedge 8 with upstanding teeth 66 which project through an elongated slot in the work table 6 into position to engage the vamp under the clamping member 25 and pull the clamped margin forwardly as the wedge is moved in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 6. The clamping member 25 may also be provided wit coiiperating teeth formed on the lower edge of a swinging plate 68 which is suspended from the memer 25 by parallel links 70 acted upon by a spring 72 to maintain the plate 68 normally in the position shown in Fig. 6. When the wedge 8 is moved in the direction of the arrow, Figs. 5 and 6, preparatory to draw ing out the flange, the teeth 66 and those on the plate 68 will force the flan e forwardly at the sides of the toe. The lin s 70 lift the plate 68 to relieve excessive resistance against drawing out the portion of the vamp engaged by it.

In carrying out the method with the aid of the illustrative machine, the forepart of a vamp is spread out over the work table 6 when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2. The forepart form is preferably made to stand slightly above the plane of the table, as shown in Fig. 2, so that it deflects the interior portion of the vamp out of the plane of the margin, or humps it, to rovide fullness for molding over the top and side faces of the forepart form without overstraining the vamp. The treadle is depressed to elevate the work table together with the form 10 to the position shown in Fig. 3 for clamping the marginal portion of the vamp against the member 25. The treadle is then further depressed and the form forced upwardly against the inner side of the portion of the vamp which is not confined between the table and the member 25. This stretches the interior portion of the vamp and shapes it to the contour of the forepart form as shown in Fig. 4. The stretching of the vamp results from a movement of the form in a direction of definite forward inclination to the plane of the confined marginal portion of the vamp. This presses the middle portion of the vamp slightly forward to furnish stock to shape 'over the top and end face of the forepart form. Steam is supplied to the form 10 for heating and moistening the inner side of the vamp. The workman can press down the form to open the valve and moisten the vamp immediately after putting it on the form. The workman releases the heated pressure member 40 for applying pressure and dry heat to the outer side of the clamp at such time as he chooses. The pressure member may be employed during the elevation of the forepart form 10 to restrain the vamp from pulling forwardly over the top face of the form 10. When the work has been allowed to set until it has acquired the shape of the form, the treadle will be further depressed to retract the wedge 8 and raise the form to the osition shown in Fig. 7. The retraction of the wedge is accompanied by the forward movement of the margin of the vamp at the opposite sides of the toe by means of the teeth shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The elevation of the form effects the drawing out of the margin of the vamp from between the clamping member 25 and the work table against the frictional resistance of those parts, and stretches the margin widthwise, contractin the margin lengthwise around the toe an turning and shaping it into the upstanding edge shown at 80 in Figs. 1 and 7 When the vamp with an innersole is assembled upon its last, this edge will stand approximately upright in close proximity to the edge of. the last around the toe and in position where it can be conveniently engaged by the rippers of a pulling-over machine as wel? as subsequently by the gripper of a gripper lasting machine, by which machines the portions of the upper not shaped by the described operation will be stretched and folded over the innersole. The operation on the margin of the vamp also reduces'its thickness so that the edge is in better shape for lasting smoothly.

Having explained the nature of this invention and described how it may be practised, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. That improvement in methods of making shoes which includes, as preliminary steps preparatory to lasting, confining the margin of the forepart of the vamp, efi'ecting relative movement of the confined and the unconfined portions of said forepart in a direction transverse to the plane of the confined portion to stretch the unconfined portion and shape it to a forepart form, allowing the vamp to set until it acquires the she e of the form, and then shaping the con ed marginal portion into an upstanding edge by drawing it out of the confining means against frictional resistance; and subsequently assemblin the shoe upper and an innersole upon a ast and then stretching and shapin to the last those portions of the upper not inaped in the preliminary operation and folding the upstanding edge inwardl over the last bottom.

2. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in confining the margin of the forepart of the vamp and shaping the vamp locally over the high part of the toe b pressin it at that point away from the p ane of t e confined portion of the margin and continuing the pressure to force other parts of the unconfined portions away from said plane and sha e them to other portions of the top face 0 a fore art form, and finally drawing out the con ned portion to form an upstanding edge.

3. That improvement in methods of pre parin shoe uppers for lasting which consists 1n molding the interior portion of the forepart of the ram to the contour of a forepart form while holding the margin of the vamp and then shaping the marginal portion of the forepart ot' the vamp into an edge standing in suitable relation to the molded portion to be conveniently inserted into the grippers of a pulling-over machine.

4. That improvement in methods of preparing shoe uppers for lasting which consists 1n molding the interior portion of the forepart of the vamp to the contour of a forepart form while holding the margin of the vamp and then stretching the marginal portion of the forepart of the vamp widthwise substantially throughout its width.

5. That improvement in methods of preparing shoe uppers for lasting which consists in molding the interior portion of the forepart of the vamp to the contour of a forepart form while holding the margin of the vam and then shortening the outer edge line of t e marginal portion of the forepart agound the toe to produce an upstanding e ge.

6. That improvement in methods of preparing shoe uppers for lasting which consists in molding the interior portion of the forepart of the vamp to the contour of a forepart form while holding the margin of the vamp and then stretching the marginal portion of the forepart of the vamp widthwise and simultaneously contracting it lengthwise around the toe to produce an upstanding edge.

7 That improvement in methods of preparing shoe uppers for lasting which includes confining the margin of the forepart of the vamp, efiecting a relative movement of the confined and the unconfined portions of said forepart in a direction transverse to the plane of the confined portion to stretch the unconfined portion and shape it to a forepart form, and moving the confined marginal portion forwardly at the sides of the toe, and then shaping said marginal por' tion so that it will stand in suitable rela tion to the molded portion to be conveniently inserted into the grippers of a pulling-over machine.

8. That improvement in methods of making shoes which includes, as preliminary steps preparatory to pullin -over and lasting, confinin the margin 0 the forepart of the vamp, e ecting a relative movement of the confined and the unconfined portions of said forepart in a direction transverse to the plane of the confined portion to stretch the unconfined portion, and then stretching the margin of the forepart widthwise and contracting it lengthwise around the toe to cause it to occupy suitable position when assembled upon a last to be conveniently seized by pulling-over or lasting machine grippers.

9. That improvement in methods of precludes confining the margin of the forepart of the vamp, efiectinfi a relative movement of the confined and t e unconfined portions of said fore art to press the unconfined portion in a direction of definite forward inclination to the plane of the confined ortion to stretch and shape the uncon ed portion to a forepart form, allowing the vamp to set until it acquires the shape of the fore art form, and then freeing the vamp from t e form; and subsequently assempling the upper and an innersole upon a ast.

10. That improvement in methods of making shoes which includes, as a preliminary step preparatory to pullin -over and lasting, confinin the marginof t e forepart of the vamp, s aping the unconfined portion to a forepart form, and then shaping the margin of the forepart of the vamp so that it will present an upstanding edge around the toe of the last in close proximity to the edge of the last when the upper is assembled upon the last.

11. That improvement in methods of making shoes which includes arranging the margin of the forepart of a vamp between a thin lower edge of a clamping member and a table, applying holding pressure to said margin on a narrow line along said edge of the clamping member, and shapi said margin into substantial parallelism with the sides of said forepart by forcing said forepart of the vamp upwardly from the table and into the clamping member for causing the stock of said margin to be drawn out between said thin edge of the clamping member and the table.

12. That improvement in methods of making shoes which includes, as a preliminary step preparatory to pulling-over and lasting, confining the margin of the forepart of the vamp and then drawing out the said margin widthwise from the confining means and turning it to present an upstanding edge extending around the toe of the vamp where it will stand in close proximity to the last edge when the shoe upper is assembled for the pullin -over and lasting operations.

13. hat improvement in methods of preparing shoes for lasting which consists in deecting the materials of the interior portion of the toe of a vamp out of the plane of the margin to provide fullness, then clamping the margin of the toe of the vamp, and then molding the interior portion of the toe to the approximate shape of the top and side faces of the toe portion of a last.

14. That improvement in methods of making shoes which includes, as preliminary steps preparatory to lasting, confining the margin of the forepart of the vamp, effecting relative movement of the confined and the unconfined portions of said forepart in a direction transverse to the plane of the confined portion to stretch the unconfined ortion and shape it to a forepart form, subecting the stretched and shaped portions of the vamp on the top face of the forepart form to compression, and then freein the vamp from the form; and subsequent y assembling the shoe upper and an innersole upon a last and then stretching and shaping to the last those portions of the upper not shaped in the preliminary operation.

15. That im rovement in methods of making shoes which includes, as reliminary steps preparatory to lasting, su jecting the inner side of the middle portion of the forepart of a vamp to the action of moist heat, stretching the forepart of the vamp and shaping it to a forepart form, subjectin the outer side of the vamp to the action 0 dry heat, and then freeing the vamp from the form; and subsequently assembling the shoe upper and an lnnersole upon a last and then stretchin and shaping to the last those portions of t e upper not shaped in the preliminary o eration.

. 16. hat improvement in methods of making shoes which includes, as a preliminary step preparatory to lasting, subjecting the inner side of the middle portion of the forepart of a vamp to the action of moist heat while leaving the marginal portion of the vamp substantially unaffected by the moisture; and subsequently stretching and shaping the upper to a last and folding the martgm of the upper inwardly over the last bot- 17. That improvement in methods of making shoes which includes, as a preliminary step preparatory to lasting, subjecting the inner side of the middle ortion of the forepart of a vamp to the action of heated vapor while the marginal portion of the forepart is protected from the vapor.

18. That improvement in methods of making shoes which includes, as preliminary steps preparatory to lasting, applying a vamp loosely over a forepart form and injecting heated vapor between the vamp and the form in such relation to the vam as to soften the portion of the vam whic is to be bent over the top face of tii in shaping the vamp to the form.

19. That improvement in methods of making shoes which com rises yieldingly clamping the margin of t e forepart of a vamp from one side of the toe around the end of the toe and along its other side while leaving the vamp unclamped or less securely held across the body portion back of the toe, shaping the unconfined portion of the toe by pressing it away from the plane of the clamped portion and so stretchin it widthwise of the toe and longitudinal? and simultaneously increasin the clamping pressure on the margin 0% the vamp pro ortionally to the stretching force appli to the unconfined portion of the vamp.

e form 20. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in arranging the forepart of a vamp between a forepart form and a relatively yieldinglyl'1 mounted clampins member on the one and and an un yi dinfily mounted clamping member on the other and, and efiectm successively a clamping of the margin 0 the vamp on a substantially continuous line from one side around the toe to the other side and then a stretching and shapin of the unconfined portion of the forepart o the vamp by movmg the forepart form and its associated clamping member relatively to the rigid 5 clamping member until the clamping of the margin of the vamp is efiected, continuing the movement of the form relatively to the clamping member and increasing the clamping ressure until the stretching of the unco ed portion of the vamp is efi'ected, and

then relieving the clam ing pressure and allowing the margin 0 the vam be drawn out and shaped durin er relative movement of the form an the clamping members. a a

21. That improvement in methodsof preparing shoe uppers for lasting which consists in molding the interior portion of the forepart of the vamp to the contour of a forepart form, While locating the portion which is to be so molded by holding the marginal portion of the vamp, and then so shaping the marginal portion of the forepart of the vamp that it will stand in suitable relation to the molded portion to be conveniently inserted into the grippers of a pulling-over machine.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

MATTHIAS BROOK.

- 20. That improvement in methods of malt- Correction in LettersBat'eIi t No. 1.19.6366."

mg shoes which consists in arranging the forepart of a vamp between a forepart form. and a relatively y1eldingll mounted clampmember on the one and and an. un*

1n yifidin ly mounted clamping member on the other and, and efiectm successively a clamping of the margin 0 the vamp on a substantlally continuous line fromone side around the toe to the other side and then a stretching and shapin of the unconfined portion of the forepart o the vamp by moving the forepart form and its associated clamping member relatively to the rigid clamping member until the clamping of the margin of the vamp is effected, continuing the movement of the form relatively to the clamping member and increasing the clamping ressure until the stretching of the unco ed portion of the vamp is effected, and

[nan] then relieving theclam Fing pressure and er relathe clamping paring shoe uppers for lasting which con sists in molding the interior portion of the forepart of the vamp to the contour of a forepart form, while locating the portion which is to be so molded by holding the marginal portion of the vamp, and then so shaping the marginal portion of the forepart of the vamp that it will stand in suitable relation to the molded portion to be conveniently inserted into the grippers of a pulling-over machine.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. I

MATTHIAS BROCK.

' It it hereb certified that tmt m Patent No. 1,195,966, granted August as, me; upon the application of Matthias Brock, of Boston, Massachusetts forau improve ment in Methods of MakingShoes, an error appears in the printed specification correction as follows: In the headingto the printed specification; strike 7 out line-6 and insert, the following: application filed AW 10, 1 913; stem 1%. 71 52. Divided and that dppl'icatioh filed September 1 ,1915, No. 50,630,- and that the Said Letters Patent shouldbe a with thiscorrection:

therein that the twen conform to'the 'rtttrd Signed the mlta this 21st day Ntv mm, a. 1)., 1 1a.

.F. w. H. ,c A'Y, Fitting ofP ataiu'cQ of t t the- Patent, oflitt.

Correctlon In Letters Patent No. 1.195.966.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent N 0. 1,195,966, granted August ?9, 1916,

upon the application of Metthies Brock, of Boston, Massachusetts, for an improvement in Methods of Making Shoes, an error eppears the printed specification correction as follows: In the heeding to the printed specification; strike out line6 and insert, the following: Original eat" filed AW 10, 19 2;

Serial No. 71 52. Divided and this application filed September 1 ,191 Said! No. 60,680; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same nmy conform the record pf the case in the Patent Oflice. Signed and sealed this 2l st day of November, A. D., 1916. [um] F. W. H. CLAY, I

"Acting ofPatmt'a. C1. l2-142. 

